COLIN RENTON

Edinburgh Rugby will repeat the pattern of recent seasons when they play their opening pre-season match at a club ground in the Borders.

Having used Hawick’s Mansfield Park in previous years, the Capital outfit will head for the Greenyards in Melrose this time around and will face Romania, who will be using the occasion as a World Cup warm up run out. The match, on Friday August 21, will kick off at 6.30pm.

Alan Solomons’ men will complete their pre-season preparations against Ulster at Heriot’s Goldenacre venue seven days later in an encounter that also kicks off at 6.30pm.

Head coach Solomons said: “Romania are a physical side, but we are looking forward to the challenge they will bring. It is one of their identified World Cup warm-up fixtures, so it will be competitive and a good opportunity for us too in our preparations.

“Ulster, on the other hand, are very familiar to us and we are fully aware of the quality and depth they possess in their ranks.

“These matches will provide an apt test for the squad ahead of what will be an extremely tough domestic league campaign.”